A/N: Okay, well, it took forever to update. Blame the stupid internet connection here; it seems to magically disappear whenever I'm supposed to use it. It's currently being fixed, seeing as the whole neighborhood's complaining already :D The rest of the time before the internet crashed was spent writing this chapter and being busy at school (a whole week of exams known as hell week) so, yeah. You know the routine, read and review! :P Oh and one more thing, we had a block competition in school, and our block won BEST BLOCK! Isn't that great? Hahahahaha, I'm just happy and still a bit stressed from school work =)) so excuse the retard ranting here… ON WITH THE STORY!
Chapter 2: Enter: Team 7!
Clang!
The sound of metal hitting another metal reverberated throughout the area. Baby blue eyes narrowed, watching intently for any clues on the opponent's next attack. He got none. The blue-orbed male leapt away from his enemy with clenched teeth and a glare in his face. The moment his feet hit the ground, he immediately executed his signature technique. A loud cry of "Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!" sounded in the forest. Immediately, over a hundred replicas of the cerulean-eyed blond surrounded the dark figure.
He didn't look fazed. At all.
Onyx eyes stared at the scene around him. His crouched figure didn't relax in the least as he regarded his enemy with cold, calculating eyes. It was true, he wasn't the least bit fazed, but with his current enemy, he can never be too comfortable. The blond always had a tendency of doing the most unexpected things at the most unexpected time. His midnight black hair swayed with the wind as his opponents got ready to jump at him. A loud battle cry emitted from their lips as they all lunged at the enemy at the same time.
"Chidori Nagashi!"
A burst of electricity shot out from dark-haired lad's body, hitting all the clones at the immediate vicinity. A loud 'poof!' was heard as all the clones, save for the original, vanished in a large cloud of smoke.
The blond shrieked, "Hey, bastard! No fair! Kakashi-sensei said no chidori and rasengan!" He kept rambling on and on about his opponent who was apparently a 'cheating Teme' until he was interrupted by said bastard with a muttered "Dobe." and a loud smack to the back of his head. The blond clutched his head, and was about to retort when the familiar 'poof!' declaring the arrival of their sensei reached his ears.
"Alright, kiddies! That's it for today!" He sounded very… cheerful, for a lack of a better word. Then he looked pointedly at his students. "And I'm assuming that you both broke the rules. Again. I thought I said strictly no ninjutsu." Hearing a snicker from the blond, Kakashi turned his attention on him.
"Don't blame me, Kaka-sensei! I swear, I didn't start it this time! Teme did!" At this, the silver-haired jounin sighed and looked at said teme questioningly.
"The Dobe used Kage Bunshin first." He glared at the blond who smiled sheepishly at their sensei. Then he answered the other question his teacher was supposed to ask. "About a hundred clones."
Kakashi appeared deep in thought for a minute, the he said, "Naruto, as far as I remember, training rules said only weapons and taijutsu are allowed, genjutsu too. But because of that little stunt you just pulled, no ramen for a week."
"WHAT?! H-Hey, Kakashi-sensei, you can't do that! You know ramen is my most favorite thing in the whole wide world, aside from kicking Teme's ass, but you get the picture! Ramen is what makes the world go round! Without it, people will die ("Just you, Dobe. I'm pretty sure the world will continue without ramen. Or you for that matter." Sasuke butted in, to which Naruto retorted with a "Shut up, Teme!" and continued his rant), and the sky will fall! Besides, you're not Hokage! You don't have the right to ban me from eating ramen! I DON'T THINK SO! NU-UH! YOU CAN'T DO THIS TO ME! YOU C-"
Kakashi was getting tired of the blond's ranting. So he interrupted him before Naruto threw another one of his temper tantrums. "Alright, fine. Three days. No ramen for three days."
The statement is promptly ignored, and the rant continued. It got to the point that Kakashi got too annoyed, and finally resorted to threats. "Naruto, if you don't shut up this instant, I swear I'll make sure Godaime-sama bans you from going anywhere near Ichiraku's." Kakashi knew that this was not enough threat to Naruto; the loudmouth would just ignore-in the blond's words-'Tsunade-baa-chan'. So he thought for a while and added, "Or would you rather have Sasuke throw a barrage of kunai, shuriken and senbon at you, Sharingan activated?"
The blond gulped, knowing how deadly his friend's accuracy is in using those weapons. Even without the Sharingan. But, with it activated… Well, let's just say Naruto's skills in kunai-throwing would be put to shame, and Sasuke would be giving Ten Ten-freaking renowned weapon's mistress Ten Ten-a run for her money.
Naruto turned to look at Sasuke. Seeing the evil glint in his eyes and the almost playful smirk on his lips, he finally conceded. But not without a final word.
"You're so mean, sensei."
Kakashi just smirked.
xOxOxOxOxOxOxO
"Oh yeah, Kakashi-sensei, what'd you interrupt training for?" Naruto asked, noticing that their teacher's arrival was earlier than usual-a record for their normally tardy sensei. They were still at the training grounds, Naruto and Sasuke having broken into a banter after the whole ramen ordeal only thirty minutes prior.
Kakashi looked thoughtful for a minute. "I don't really recall why." He said, his lone eye closed, meaning he was smiling underneath his mask, and a hand scratching his head.
"Whaaat? You mean you interrupted training for nothing? Gah, I'm going back to train. C'mon Teme, I'm gonna kick your ass now." Naruto said, walking to another part of the training grounds.
Sasuke turned to follow, but his sensei stopped him. "Wait, Naruto, Sasuke." Kakashi's lone eye crinkled again, his version of a soft smile. "We have a mission today."
Naruto was instantly by his teacher's side, bombarding him with questions about their mission. Sasuke was silent as ever, but a hint of excitement was present in his eyes.
"Ne, ne, Kakashi-sensei, what are we doing this time? Is it S-ranked? Are we hunting down missing nins? Going on some epic adventure to save the ninja world? Going on an awesome journey to rescue a super important person? What? What?! WHAT?! Tell meeeee Kaka-sensei!"
Kakashi's lone eye crinkled. His boys were growing up so fast. They started out as annoying genins with a burning desire to rip each other's throat out (Naruto was still annoying; they still want to rip each other's throat out. Nothing much has changed, he was just getting used to it). But now they're all matured-somewhat- and ready to tackle S-ranked missing nins, even though their mission was nowhere near that caliber (He was sure his boys would be disappointed). Oh no, it was very far from S-ranked criminals. So Kakashi chose to keep the mission details to himself and let the Hokage deal with their whining-meaning Naruto's loud complaints and Sasuke's muttered grumbles.
"The Hokage will brief us with the mission details in the tower. We should go now, we might get late. You know how Tsunade-sama is about tardiness." Sasuke and Nruto followed their teacher, Naruto mumbling something about 'stupid baa-chan' and 'crazy Hokage who wants everyone to always be early when she's always so late' while Sasuke whispered something that sounded suspiciously like "You would know." to their teacher.
Kakashi just smiled at their antics.
They took the long walk to the tower. Naruto said loud 'Hello's and 'Ohayou's to every person he came by, a big grin on his face and hands on the back of his head. Sasuke walked quietly beside him, hands in his pockets. He thought about their mission today. "It better not be another one of those D-ranks ", he thought with a frown; the last time they were sent for a mission, he nearly blew up a fuse. They made him babysit a freaking kid with twice Naruto's energy reserves. Can't be that bad? Apparently not. Kakashi bunked out early, leaving the child to Naruto and Sasuke. Unfortunately for him, Naruto and the kid seemed to have gotten along and made it a mission to tick off the last Uchiha. By the end of the day, Naruto was burnt to a crisp and he was ready to murder every single child in the village. Kami help them if that ever happened again.
The trek to the tower was surprisingly short for Sasuke. They got there faster than he expected. They climbed the stairs quietly, save for Naruto who kept on complaining about how they should hurry up so they can get their mission and how he was so tired from these stupid stairs. The blond was promptly ignored.
When they got to the Hokage's office, Kakashi moved to open the door, but was knocked aside by a bouncing yellow and orange ball of energy. He sighed, straightened himself up and walked inside the "throne room" (as Naruto so carelessly dubbed it), Sasuke following him silently.
"Baa-chan!"
A blonde's head shot up from its resting place on the mahogany desk. A glare formed on the woman's face, amber eyes alight with fury. "I told you not to call me that, gaki! (brat)"
Kakashi pulled the blond dobe's ear as he offered an apology to the Sannin. "Sorry about that, Tsunade-sama. He won't listen to me. You are the Hokage, and he'll probably listen to you if you threaten him. With ramen."
Naruto's face paled, remembering his sensei's word's earlier at the training ground. "Naruto, if you don't shut up this instant, I swear I'll make sure Godaime-sama bans you from going anywhere near Ichiraku's." He knows the blonde Sannin had the power to do it, and he knows for a fact that she will do it, if she became too annoyed with him.
The whiskered boy disregarded the thought for a minute. He could worry about his ramen suspension later. Right now, they had a mission. So he decided to ask the 'old lady' about mission details. "Ne, ne, Baa-chan, what's our mission? Is it dangerous? Lay 'em on me, quick, so we can leave now! Hurry up Baa-chan!"
Tsunade was getting annoyed with Naruto's whining, Kakashi's porn book out in the open, and the all-too-familiar little glare forming in Sasuke's face. For a moment, she considered knocking them into next week, just like what she did to Jiraiya when he was being perverted and stupid. The thought was dismissed as quickly as it came. She needed them healthy and fit for this mission.
She tuned out the bickering of the two boys ("Shut up, moron. You're too damn loud." Sasuke said. Naruto had to retort, of course, he wouldn't be Naruto if he didn't. And they wouldn't be Sasuke and Naruto if they weren't bickering. "Gah! Shut up Teme! You're the moron! Besides, I AM NOT LOUD!" Beside him, Kakashi winced and edged away). The blonde Hokage turned to look at the files in her desk.
Name: Uzumaki Naruto
Birthdate: October 10
Age: 17
Rank: Chuunin
Likes: Eating ramen, Training
Dislikes: Waiting for 3 minutes before eating ramen
Dreams/Ambitions: To become Hokage and surpass all the previous ones
History/Background: Seventeen years ago, the Kyuubi was sealed in him by his father, the Yondaime Hokage, Namikaze Minato. Both parents died while Naruto was a baby, resulting in him being raised and supported by the Sandaime Hokage. Starting at the academy at age 6, he was labeled the 'class loser'. He graduated at age 12, and was placed in a team with Hatake Kakashi as his sensei, and Uchiha Sasuke his teammate. After Uchiha Sasuke's desertion, he left the village to train with the Legendary Toad Sannin Jiraiya. He returned to the village at age 16 and went on to rescue the Godaime Kazekage Sabaku no Gaara from the Akatsuki. A few months later, he saved the village from one of the most powerful Akatsuki members, Pein. Now, he is recognized as one of the most powerful and most respected ninjas in Konohagakure.
She flipped the file closed and opened the next one.
Name: Uchiha Sasuke
Birthdate: July 23
Age: 17
Rank: Chuunin
Likes: Training, Tomatoes
Dislikes: Fan girls, Sweets
Dreams/Ambitions: To kill a certain man and to restore the clan to its former glory
History/Background: Second born to Uchiha Fugaku and Mikoto, Uchiha Sasuke is the younger brother of Uchiha Itachi-the supposed Uchiha prodigy. At age 8, he came home to find the entire Uchiha clan slaughtered, and his parents dead at his brother's feet. For some reason, Sasuke was the only Uchiha to survive the famed massacre, the only Uchiha that the alleged prodigy didn't kill. From that day, he vowed revenge against his brother. He graduated the academy at age 12, and was placed under the care of Hatake Kakashi, with Uzumaki Naruto. He left the village a year later to train under the traitor Orochimaru and returned three years later at age 16, having been brought back by Uzumaki Naruto. He is now staying at the Uchiha Compound and has been loyal to Konoha and Team 7 since his return.
The next file was about the ever-tardy Copy Ninja Kakashi.
Name: Hatake Kakashi
Birthdate: -
Age: - (Tsunade growled at this, the silver-haired jounin refused to divulge any information concerning his age unless for medical reasons.)
Rank: Jounin
Likes: Training, Reading Icha Icha novels
Dislikes: Idiots wearing green spandex
Dreams/Ambitions: To be like his father, the White Fang of Konoha, and to protect both friends and comrades
History/Background: Hatake Kakashi was the son of the White Fang of Konoha. He was put in a team with Rin and Uchiha Obito and his sensei was the famed Yellow Flash, the Yondaime Hokage Namikaze Minato. On their first jounin mission, Kakashi was appointed team leader. A wrong decision-over comrade or mission success-lead to his teammates dying. Before Uchiha Obito died, he gave his one good Sharingan eye to Kakashi (the other eye was crushed by a rock) as a farewell gift. As a result, he obtained the infamous Sharingan belonging only to the Uchiha clan. He cannot turn the doujutsu off like other Uchihas can, so he covers it with his hitae-ate. The Sharingan he acquired in his left eye allows him to copy any ninjutsu he saw, thereby giving him the title Copy Ninja for copying over a thousand jutsus.
Tsunade flipped the file closed and arranges all three files in a corner of her desk. After this mission, there will be one more file added to this pile. She turned to look at the three in front of her, who stopped whatever they were doing to listen to their Hokage.
"Alright, Team 7, listen up. This is a very important mission and I won't accept failure."
"What rank, Hokage-sama?" Kakashi asked, turning serious.
"A-ranked. The only reason this wasn't S-ranked is because the Daimyo's house was within Fire Country, and therefore, quite near to Konoha."
Naruto spoke up, confused. "Ne, Tsunade-baa-chan, what are we doing at the Daimyo's house? Can you make it clear?"
Tsunade sighed. Naruto, really. "You are to escort the Daimyo's daughter, Haruno Sakura, on her journey here. She will stay here for a time span of three years where she will be trained as a ninja."
Sasuke spoke up for the first time since Tsunade called their attention. "Why are you sending us with this mission if it was so important? Aren't there other ninjas more suited for this task? Like ANBU?"
A vein popped in Naruto's head. "Hey, bastard! A mission is a mission! Besides, we're supposed to protect a very important person! How cool is that?"
"Actually Naruto, Sasuke has a point." Tsunade said. "There are other ninjas well-suited for this task, like ANBU. But I specifically assigned your team for this. You've been without a third permanent member since the formation of your team, right?" All three nodded. Sasuke and Kakashi already knows where this was heading, Naruto was still oblivious.
"Yeah, but so what, Baa-chan? We're better than any of the other teams, dattebayo!" Naruto exclaimed, throwing a punch in the air for good measure.
"You'll do more than just escort her. After she settles down here, I'll train her personally, and after that… She'll become the third member of Team Kakashi." Tsunade finished, intertwining her fingers and resting them under her chin. The reaction she got was not one she expected.
"WHAT?!"
Kakashi raised an eyebrow at the blond's reaction. He thought that the arrival of a new member would please him. Apparently, this wasn't the case. He wondered why, though. The boy was usually so nice and welcoming to people.
"But-But-b-, Baa-chan you can't do that! We're-we-we don't! Gah! Sasuke-teme, you tell her!" The blonde dobe was panicking. He was waving his arms over his head, pulling his hair so hard it might get torn from his head and pacing in the room so fast everyone was starting to get dizzy. He was aggravated, and this was the first time his team and the Hokage had seen him getting so worked up over something that isn't about ramen.
Sasuke raised a brow. Tell her what exactly? The dobe wasn't making sense. While he wasn't exactly ecstatic about the thought of another teammate, a girl no less, he wasn't being Naruto (or being stupid, but in his opinion, Naruto and stupid are synonymous with each other). Another teammate would just hinder his goal of getting stronger. Not to mention she might be a fan girl. Oh, that would just be hell for the Sharingan wielder. He was interrupted from his thoughts when his loud baka of a teammate called his name loudly.
"What, Dobe?"
"You tell her we don't need another teammate! We're perfectly fine on our own!" Naruto was shouting at him frantically. Sasuke didn't understand the Dobe now. He should be the one saying these things, not Naruto. The blond baka was always the welcoming committee, he was the distant one. "Why the hell are you being stupid, idiot?" Sasuke frowned at Naruto. "Or rather, why are you being like that?"
The question shut the agitated blond up. He remained quiet for a little too long. Everyone was anxiously awaiting his answer. What he did just now was rather un-Naruto-like. They stared at the blond who was staring at the floor and wringing his hands together.
Naruto bit his lip. "Never mind. When are we supposed to leave, Tsunade-sama?" They would never understand. He'll just let it be for now.
"In two hours. The travel to the Daimyo's house takes about three to four days. Kakashi, here's the map. Remember, you're in charge. I won't accept any failure of any kind. I want Haruno Sakura here safe. No scratch on her, got it?"
"Hai, Godaime-sama."
"Go. You're all dismissed."
Sasuke nudged the blond, and motioned to exit the room. He gave one last nod to Kakashi and the Hokage, who both nodded back, and moved to leave with his hands in his pockets. Naruto followed suite, strangely quiet.
Kakashi turned to the Hokage. "Tsunade-sama, is it wise to put her in this team?"
The Hokage looked at him with serious eyes, "Are you against it, then?"
"I'm not against it or anything. I just think it's not advisable to put her in this team."
"Why not Kakashi?"
Kakashi frowned. "The Akatsuki. They're still after Naruto. And we both could tell that they're growing desperate. Pein's attack a few months ago and more attempts afterwards proved that. When the attacks stopped, I became suspicious. I'm still wary now. I can't help but think that they're planning something big, especially after that close encounter with Uchiha Itachi, and we both know that he could've easily taken Naruto. He just played with him. Not to mention Sasuke still harbors a grudge for Itachi, who is also after Sasuke." After that the Copy Nin sighed and opened a wary eye. Then he chuckled. "We're pretty messed up people, Tsunade-sama, and I just don't want her involved in any of our problems. Besides, we don't want the feudal lord hot on our heels if something happens to his only child."
Tsunade nodded. "I see your point Kakashi. But there are no other teams available to assist her. Until I find one that is suited for her level and is capable of protecting her, I leave her in your hands." With that, the Legendary Sucker closed her eyes and rubbed her temples. She already foresaw a hell of a migraine coming her way. Oh what she wouldn't give for some sake right now. Too bad Shizune had to hide her stash. She made a mental note to find Shizune's hiding places later.
"Hai, Tsunade-sama." The famed Copy Nin bowed and moved to leave the room, until he heard the Hokage's voice. "Wait."
He turned to face the Hokage, and waited patiently for what she has to say. Even if he wanted to read the newly published Icha Icha Paradise by Jiraiya-sama, he would have to wait. She was Hokage for a reason anyway, and you do not get Konoha's Godaime Hokage mad without good reason, else you would be facing her furious fists. Now that would just be a death wish.
Tsunade nodded for him to take a seat. So, this was going to be long. His precious Icha Icha would have to wait. As Kakashi was taking his seat in front of the Hokage's desk, the busty blonde spoke up.
"Sakura is not the Daimyo's only child."
Kakashi's lone eye widened.
xOxOxOxOxOxOxO
The air breezed around his face as they hopped in the tree branches in the forest. Both his teammates were quiet as ever, so he saw no reason to break the ice. Besides, the silence can wait. He had a lot to think about, most of them centered on their current mission. The tanned blond never really did any thinking, his teammates were always the thinkers and he was the doer, but this time he can't help it. It was about his family, after all.
After this mission, they would have another teammate. A girl, no less. He wasn't worried about competition, no, he knew Sasuke had the hormones of a rock, and his sensei just wasn't into that kind of thing. What he was worried about was-
"Alright, you two. We'll stop for now. We've made good time, and the mansion is just half a day's travel. We should be there past noon tomorrow, for the meantime, we'll camp in here." Kakashi's cheerful voice broke Naruto's train of thought. Said blond blinked, then leapt down to join his teammates who were setting up camp.
Sasuke watched with emotionless eyes as Naruto leapt down from the tree he was standing on. He couldn't help but notice that his moronic teammate was acting weird. Then again, if someone chats your ear off for two whole days then turns as quiet as a rock the next day, you'd be an imbecile not to notice. Something was obviously bugging the normally hyperactive ninja. He wasn't the type to go and start a heart-to-heart talk with someone, so he decided to leave the talking to their sensei.
"I'm going to gather firewood." With that, the Uchiha turned his back on the two men, but not before sending the silver-haired jounin a meaningful look. He'll know what to do. Hopefully.
Once the Sharingan wielder disappeared into the forest, Kakashi stared at his student. He decided to wait for a few more minutes before talking to the blond. "You know, cherry blossom trees are in full bloom at this time of the year."
Naruto turned to look at his sensei, unsure of his meaning. Kakashi smile then, knowing he had his student's full attention. "Uzumaki Naruto. Remember when you were still young?"
At his question, Naruto raised an eyebrow. "I'm not that old, sensei."
"I know. But remember when you were still at the academy?" This time, he didn't wait for his student to respond. "You were always pestering the villagers, making Iruka mad with your pranks, and driving the Sandaime's blood pressure through the roof. You were the class loser; nobody believed you were going to amount to anything. But now look at you. You're one of the strongest ninjas in the village, recognized by everyone, even by other villages. And look at those people who believed you weren't good enough. A few months ago, after you defeated Pein, they named you their hero. The hero of Konohagakure. Some even considered you to become future Hokage after Tsunade-sama's rule." At this, Naruto's eyes twinkled. Apparently, the blond wasn't paying attention to the talk of the town after his fight with Nagato.
"Why are you telling me all this, Kaka-sensei?" Ah, so he still didn't get it.
"A cherry blossom must first go through several seasons of winter, summer and fall before fully blossoming into a beautiful sakura. That's what happened to you, Naruto. That's usually what happens to everyone, but you had it rough. I won't say you've had the roughest, because I think we both know who did." At that, they both thought of a certain Uchiha who was out gathering firewood. "Anyway, my point is everyone goes through those stages, but not everyone comes out a beautiful sakura. Most is because they aren't given the chance."
Kakashi took this chance to stare at his pupil in the eye. "I thought you think everyone deserves a chance. What happened, Naruto?"
Naruto tried to avoid the jounin's gaze. He wasn't sure if he was ready to talk about this. But you know what they say, there's no better time than now. "…I'm scared of what everyone will think of me when she comes in. I'm scared that she'll think of me like everyone else did. I'm scared of the idea of someone hating me because of what I am." The blond finished with his face towards the grounds. His voice was quiet when he spoke, a rarity for Naruto, and Kakashi could tell he was ashamed of his actions, like he didn't want to be that way but he was traumatized by past experiences.
The Copy Nin sighed and ran a hand through his hair. His blond student still has a lot of growing up to do. "Well, if she acts that way… Then I guess we'll just have to transfer her to another team." Then he smiled. "Both you and Sasuke are the only family I have. Do you think I'll tolerate anyone who steps on you? All I'll have to worry about once I tell the Hokage that she should be transferred to another group is Tsunade-sama's wrath and fists."
And with that, they both chuckled. They could only imagine Tsunade yelling their ears off because of their request. But the team leader turned serious after that. "Naruto, give her a chance, okay? I don't think she'll be like that anyway. The Daimyo is a respectable person, and I don't think he'll raise his daughter to be like how you imagine her to be. Let the sakura blossom into a beautiful flower, with our help." When Naruto nodded, Kakashi gave one last smile before setting his mind on making fire. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw his other student coming from the forest after gathering firewood. He was glad that the Uchiha understood what his friend needed, even if he-Sasuke-wasn't the one who gave remedy to the problem.
Kakashi took out their food which-to Naruto's extreme joy-is ramen. Again. Turns out, the only food they won't get tired from hunting and the only food that won't expire in the day's travels is ramen. That was one of the reasons Naruto managed to smile in the past two days. Kakashi's 'no ramen for three days' punishment wasn't the least bit effective.
The group proceeded to making dinner quietly. After a while, things started turning back to normal. Within five minutes, Naruto and Sasuke have already managed to piss each other off and turn their verbal fight into a deadlier match of… jankenpon (rock, paper, scissors). Seeing his students, Kakashi couldn't help but smile. He wouldn't have them any other way. Except maybe if they act a little less like Gai and himself at the moment. They'd be a little less evil that way.
The rest of the journey was resumed the next morning. They quickly made it to the Daimyo's mansion, beating the expected arrival time by about an hour. A maid greeted them at the door and led them to the dining hall. They were rather hungry, seeing as they didn't stop to take a lunch break. "Please wait here for a moment. I will inform Sakumo-sama of your arrival. Please make yourselves comfortable until he arrives."
The maid left after that, and Naruto started ranting about the mansion's extravagance. "Man, this must have cost a fortune! Ne,ne, Kaka-sensei! Did you see the pretty garden! There were more flowers than I can count. I bet Ino-chan and Hinata-chan would be thrilled to see that! And the house! Woooooww! It's so cool! Even the Hokage Tower doesn't compare to this!"
The jounin just smiled at his antics while the dark-haired boy scoffed. "We all saw it Dobe. Just cause you're blind doesn't mean the rest of us are. And there are more flowers than you can count in that garden because you don't know how to count after five."
"Shut up, Teme! I can count after five! And the question about the pretty garden was a rhemo-rhedo-rheto-ahhhh! You know what I mean!"
"It's called a rhetorical question idiot. Nice to know you're not as dumb as I thought."
"I know what it's called! And what is that supposed to mean?! I'm smarter than you, bastard!"
"Dream on, moron."
"Why you arrogant little…!"
Things became a little more heated and vulgar after that. Kakashi didn't mind so much though. He'd stop them, but he's too tired and lazy to do such a thing. Let them embarrass themselves in front of the Daimyo who was already by the door.
"Ahem."
The two bickering boys who had each other by the collar turned to stare at the person who called their attention. He had dark green eyes and messy hair that looked like a light shade of yellow. The man was not that old, probably around his late 30s to early 40s. Seeing the man, Sasuke immediately straightened up and dropped his hold on the blond dobe.
"Itai! Hey that hurt, you bastard!"
Sasuke didn't reply. Instead, he gave a nod to the person who entered the room. Naruto, upon seeing his friend's nod, looked at his sensei who was now speaking to the man.
"Haruno-sama, forgive us for coming on such short notice. We should have sent a messenger first to warn you of our arrival." Kakashi bowed to the man after talking.
Haruno Sakumo brushed off Kakashi's apology. "That's quite alright. I'm sure Sakura would be ecstatic. And please, call me Sakumo. I may be the feudal lord, but I hate formalities when it is absolutely unnecessary. I suppose you're the team Tsunade sent here?" He asked with a friendly smile. Naruto stared at the man. He was quite warm and friendly, though it was a bit forced.
"Hai, Sakumo-san. I am the team leader, Hatake Kakashi." He then turned to the two boys for their introductions.
"Uchiha Sasuke." Sasuke introduced himself with a nod.
"Uzumaki Naruto, dattebayo!" Naruto shouted with a peace sign
Kakashi addressed the Daimyo again. "We are the team entrusted by the Godaime Hokage to escort Haruno Sakura-san to Konohagakure-the Village Hidden in the Leaf."
xOxOxOxOxOxOxO
A/N: So second chapter. Any comments, suggestions, whatevers? Review, kay? I might give you a cookie. *wink wink nudge nudge*